Armored cable cutter



Dec. 12, 1944.

R. MARTINES ARMORED CABLE CUTTER Filed Jar 5, 1944 INVENTOR $6176 ifarfzfles ATTO R N EY S Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE ARMORED CABLE CUTTER ReneMai-tines, Cranston, 'R. I.

Application January 5, 1944, Serial'No. 517,119,

'4 Claims.

This invention relates 'to 'a portable manually operatedto'ol for cutting an armored cable.

Heretofore in the trade it'has been the com- ?mon practice in cutting such armored cable .as that known as "B-X cable to use a hack saw. 'Thisiis trying and consumes considerable time. Frequently the saw cuts into the insulation of the cable, causing a possible short circuit and fire hazard. Tools have been attemptedfor cutting B-X cable but have never been widely mark- 'e'ted and arenot in general use. One explanation of the lack of such a tool may be because of the complicated arrangement used by most such tools in 'order .to accomplish the result or *because the cutting was of such an arrangement thatitcou'ldnot be .applied to a toolnow carried by' the journeyman.

'One of the objects of this inventionis to provide a cutting means :forarmored cable common- 1y known as 3-?! cable which may be apart of -'a pair of pliers usually carried by a workman in this field of work. 1

Another object of this invention is to so arrange the cutter that it will .not cut sufficiently 'deepto injure the insulation of the cable, which may result in a short circuit and which is a cause offires.

Another object *of this invention is to provide an arrangement so thatthe armoredcable may *be clampe'd in position "and then by one closing movement "of relatively movable members the armor may 'b'e'completely severed in one con.-

tinuous relative movement of the members, such for instance as a closing movement of the pivoted members of 'ap'air of pliers.

Another object of this invention is to so position the armored cable that the helical convolutions thereof will be positively located with reference to the cutter so that the proper location of work and cutter will be provided for.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement so that the cutting tool as it proceeds through a convolution of the armor to be cut will push away the next convolution so that the cut may be completed through the convolution being severed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pair of cutting pliers with my invention for cutting armored cable position Fig. 2.is.a view similar to Fig.- .l illustratinglthe pliers open and a piece .of armored cable .partly shown .in section as positioned ready for .the cutting action;

lines the work;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional viewillustrating the positioning-meansforthe cable;

Fig. 6 is a modified arrangement of the cable cutter shown fragmentally.

.In proceeding with this invention I provide 'two relatively movable members. On one memher some sort of .a clampingarrangement is provided to firmly hold one convolution of .an armored cable while leaving the next convolution unclamped .for movement. The other member carries a cutter which then movesacross .the clamped convolution of the cable to .engagethe unclamped convolution and b continued movement pushes the unclamped part away while the cutter completes its severing action of the clamped convolution. By this, arrangement when the cable .is clamped, one continued movement of the member carrying'thelcutter serves to complete 'the cutting operation and .dis'j ointing of the armor. 1

'With reference to the drawing .1 have .illustr'ated a pair .of cutting pliers designated generally all) which consists of a pair :of :members I I and 12 p'ivotedzasat T3 to swing one relative to theother. The-heads l4.and,.l.5 are provided with gripping edges or ,jaws l6 and H ,which sary part of equipment of the journeyman electrician or mechanic.

In order to provide in such a plier a B-X cutter, I have recessed both members II and II as at 20 and 2i so that an armored or B-X cable 22 as shown in Fig. 2, may be accommodated in these recesses. I have utilized the member l2 to provide a clamp for firmly holding the work 22 which is accomplished by providing any desirable binding means for firmly holding this Work. A convenient binder which I have adopted is that of splitting the handle portion 18 of the member l2 and. pivoting one portion 23 of this split handle on the portion 12 as at 24. This part 23 has a cam surface 25 which when swung around the pivot 24 will force the work recess 29. A lip 30 f this part 23 overhangs a,

portion of the armored cable so that the same cannot lift from clamped position in the recess.

The lip will be seen in this overhanging position in Fig. 2 or Fig. 3.

In order to place the convolutions of the armored cable in the desired location a projection 3| is fixed along the surface 26 which extends into the recess to be received between the 7 convolution of the armor so as to locate the work i with reference to the cutter and also to locate the work with reference to the clamp in order that one convolution which is to be out may be firmly clamped while leaving the next convolution unclamped for purposes which will presently appear.

The member II carries a cutter which is fixed to the member II in a suitable manner. I have here shown a recess 36 in which the cutter member is located and secured by means of a bolt 31. The cutter projects into the recess 20 of the member I 2 or moves through a path parallel with the surface of the .member I2 'so as to sweep a certain limited distance through the B-X cable armoring which may be clamped in the recess 20.

In operation the plier handles I8 and I9 are spread apart as shown in Fig. 2. The armored cable to be severed designated 22 is positioned in the recesses 20 and 2| and bound in the recess 20 by the part 23. The convolutions are so positioned that the projection 3| extends between two convolutions to position the cable so that one convolution designated A will be firmly bound while the next convolution B is unbound.

As the pliers are closed or handles l8 and I9 brought toward each other, cutter 35 will sweep through the convolution A and engage the convolution B as shown in Fig. 3 pushing the convolution B which is unclamped ahead of it while it completes the severing action of convolution A, all by a continuous movement of the handles l8 and I9 toward each other to close the plier.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a somewhat modified arrangement wherein the member I I carries a cutter 35' and a member I2 is recessed as at 20' to receive the cable 22. Thebinding member 23' is actuated by a threaded screw having a handle 4! to bind the cable in position on the member l2 which action occurs when the handles are spread apart. When the handles are brought together the cutter 35' will then pass through one of the convolutions of the cable 22, being that convolution which is bound whereas it will engage and push ahead of it the unbound convolution to break the cable in this instance upwardly instead of downwardly as shown in Fig. 3 to pass completely through the bound convolution while pushing the unbound convolution ahead of it and out of the way.

I claim:

1. In a device for severing the armor of cables, a pair of relatively movable members, means carried by one member to clamp a single convolution of the cable to be severed thereto, and a cutter carried by the other member for movement across the bound convolution to sever the same and at near the end-of the stroke engage the overlapping portion of the adjacent convolution and move it out of the way as the severing stroke is completed.

2. In a device for severing the armor of cables,

a pair of relatively movable members, means carried by one member to clamp a single convolution to be cut and leave the overlapping portion of next convolution unclamped, a cutter carried by the other member for movement across the clamped convolution and for engagement with the adjacent overlapping portion of the said unclamped convolution to move it away as the severing of the clamped convolution is completed. I

3. In a device for severing the armor of cables, a pair of relatively pivoted members, means carried by one member to clamp a single convolution to be cut and leave the adjacent overlapping portion of the next convolution in. the path of movement of the cutter unclamped, a cutter fixed to the other member for movement across the clampedconvolution and for engagement with the adjacent unclamped overlapping convolution to move it out of overlapping relation as the severing of the clamped convolution is completed. I

4. In a device for severing the armor of cables, a pair of relatively movable members, locating means for the work, means. carried by one member to clamp a single convolution of the cable to be severed thereto in located position, and a cutter carried by the other member for movement across the said. clamped convolutionto sever the same,'said locating means being positioned at a location to engage the edge of the said clamped convolution serving to assist the convolution in withstanding the thrust of the cutter in the severing action.

RENE MARTINES. 

